Game of Thrones creators to write new Star Wars film series

A new series of the Star Wars films will be written and produced by the creators of Game of Thrones.

David Benioff and DB Weiss will take the lead on the new films, an announcement on the franchise's website said.

The films will be separate from the current episodes and the trilogy being developed by The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson.

Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, which is owned by Disney, said: "David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today.

"Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting."

Benioff and Weiss said they had been dreaming of being part of the Star Wars franchise since the first film, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, was released in the 70s.

In a joint statement, the pair said: "We are honoured by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game Of Thrones is complete."

Release dates for the new films have not yet been set.

Benioff and Weiss have written the majority of the Game of Thrones episodes, along with five other writers contributing.

One writes the first half of the script and the other the second half before passing the drafts to each other.

The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones will finish filming in mid-2018 before being aired in 2019.